Research and Participation

Research in Psychological Science

The Department of Psychological Science is committed to providing an educational experience for students while advancing knowledge through research.
 

Information for Primary Investigators and Student Researchers

Primary Investigators and Student Researchers: Instructions

PSY 1010 Student Participation

The department believes in the importance of learning the fundamentals of psychological research and encourages methods that facilitate direct experience. Thus, the department requires that students in the introductory psychology course (PSY 1010) gain research experience through one of three options.

Research Experience Options

• Option 1: Research Experience

  Students will learn about and participate in research projects and thus contribute to the advancement of knowledge. It is often only through research with human subjects that important questions about human behavior can be answered. Each semester, research is conducted on a wide range of psychological phenomena (e.g., learning, perception, social behavior, psychological testing and biological bases of behavior).

  Student Participation Process:

  • Create 1010 Participant Account in Sona
  • View and sign up for research studies
  • Participate in studies
  • Earn a minimum of 10 credits in 2.5 hours of research approved by department. Each hour of participation equates 4 credits or every 15 minutes of participation counts as 1 credit. 

   

  In order to participate, students will need to create an account through Sona Systems. Sona Systems provides an easy method for students to sign up and participate in studies. All credits earned for participation will be tracked in Sona and monitored by the instructor.

  To get started, please refer to the Student Participant Documentation, and the Sona Participant YouTube tutorial. 

  The YouTube tutorial is generic, whereas the documentation is specific to Weber State. When creating an account, please provide the specified data requested in the documentation. Students can view studies through their SONA Systems account. Studies are made available as they are approved, so check personal account often for new studies to be posted.

  When participating in an Online Survey Study, please be sure to complete the ENTIRE survey and in ONE session or sitting. If not, credit will not be assigned to the participant.

  If students experience problems creating an account, email the lab manager at psychologydept@weber.edu.
• Option 2: Article Reviews

  Students must receive approval from their PSY 1010 instructor prior to completing the research requirement by means of option 2.

  Students may read peer-reviewed journal articles from one or more areas of psychology and write about them. Individual instructors vary on what they will accept for this assignment, but students can expect to generate a minimum of 375 words of quality writing about each article in order to earn one hour (4 credits) of credit toward the research requirement.

  Available Articles
  Students must choose from this list of articles for option 2.
  
  NEUROSCIENCE, BRAIN AND MIND

  • Kolb, B., Gibb, R., Robinson, T.E. (2003). Brain plasticity and behavior. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12 (1), 1-5.
  • Behrmann, M. (2000). The mind's eye mapped onto the brain's matter. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9 (2), 150-54.
     

  COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY

  • Brown, Deirdre A. & Lamb, Michael E. (2015). Can Children Be Useful Witnesses? It Depends How They Are Questioned. Child Development Perspectives. 9 (4), 250-255 
  • Brummelman, Eddie, Crocker, Jennifer & Bushman, Brad J. (2016). The Praise Paradox: When and Why Praise Backfires in Children With Low Self-Esteem. Child Development Perspectives. 10 (2), 111-115.
  • Frensch, P. A. & Runger, D. (2003). Implicit Learning. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12 (1), 113-18.
  • Roediger, H. L. & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). Test-Enhanced Learning: Taking Memory Tests Improves Long-Term Retention. Psychological Science. 17 (3), 249-255
  • Strayer, D.L. & Johnston, W.A. (2001). Driven to Distraction: Dual-Task Studies of Simulated Driving and Conversing on a Cellular Phone. Psychological Science, 12 (6), 462-466.
  • Wells, G. L., Olson, E. A., Charman, S. D. (2002). The Confidence of Eyewitnesses in Their Identifications from Lineups. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11 (5), 151-154.
     

  HUMAN MOTIVATION AND EMOTION

  • Covington, M. V. (2000). Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation in schools: A reconciliation. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 9 (1), 22-25.
  • Peplau, L. A. (2003). Human sexuality: How do men and women differ? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12 (2), 37-40.
     

  NATURE, NURTURE AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT 

  • Baillergeon, R. (2004). Infants' physical world. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13 (3), 89-94.
  • Kerns, Kathryn A. & Brumariu, Laura E. (2014). Is Insecure Parent-Child Attachment a Risk Factor for the Development of Anxiety in Childhood or Adolescence? Child Development Perspectives, 8 (1), 12-17
  • Pietro, J. A. (2004). The role of prenatal maternal stress in child development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 13 (2), 71-74.
     

  SOCIAL AND CULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY

  • Dovidio, J. F. & Gaertner, S. L. (1999). Reducing prejudice: Combating intergroup biases. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8 (4), 101-105.
  • Elfenbein, H. A. & Ambady, N. (2003). Universals and cultural differences in recognizing emotions. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12 (5), 159-164.
  • Frenda, S.J., Knowles, E.D., Saletan, W. & Loftus, E.F. (2013). False Memories of Fabricated Political Events. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. 49 (2), 280-286
  • Ross, M. & Wilson, A. E. (2003). Autobiographical memory and conceptions of self: getting better all the time. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 12 (2), 66-69.
  • Yeager, D.S., Walton, G.M., Brady, S.T., Akcinar E.N., Paunesku, D., Keane, L., Kamentz, D., Ritter, G., Duckworth, A.L., Urstein, R., Gomez, E.M., Markus, H.R., Cohen, G.L., & Dweck, C.S. (2016). Teaching a Lay Theory Before College Narrows Acheivement Gapts at Scale. PNAS. 113 (24), E3341-E3348
     

  PERSONALITY, DISORDER, AND HEALTH

  • McCrae, R. R. & Costa, P. T. (1994). The stability of personality: Observations and evaluations. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 6 (1), 173-175.
  • Nolen-Hoeksema, S. (2001). Gender differences in depression. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 10 (5), 173-176.
  • Uchino, B. N., Uno, D., & Holt-Lunstad, J. (1999). Social support, physiological processes, and health. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8 (5), 145-148.
• Option 3: Research Observation

  Students must receive approval from their PSY 1010 instructor prior to completing the Research Requirement by means of Option 3.

  Student may observe ongoing research and write a report about it. Only a few individuals can be accommodated with this option, as this program is highly selective. It will be up to the student to make their own arrangements with a researcher to meet the requirement this way. 

  Check with the instructor concerning the deadline for the pre-approval of projects or materials for student's section of the course. Student should aim to obtain approval by mid semester. All work for the research requirement must be completed and/or turned in by one week before the last day of class.

• Consequences of Not Meeting the Requirements

  A percentage of a student's grade in PSY 1010 is earned by successfully completing some combination of the research-related options. Not meeting the requirement will impact a student's overall grade. Each instructor determines the amount of points associated with research participation. Ask your instructor for details and/or review your PSY 1010 course syllabus.